When looking at different hair care products for dreadlocks, dreadlock shampoos are one of the most important. You will end up using this more than many other products, so you should choose it well. To make a good choice, you need to know more about what makes a good loc shampoo and what makes a bad one.
This article will explore exactly this. Keep reading to find out everything you need to know about dreadlock shampoos. By the end of this article, you’ll know exactly what to look for the next time you pick out a shampoo.
Related: How to Clarify Locs
Why Are Dreadlock Shampoos Different?
Different types of hairstyles have different requirements and needs. Someone with very short hair typically doesn’t have to worry about split ends and, thus, doesn’t have to use products that treat that issue. Dreadlocks have their own requirements and needs and, thus, need a shampoo that addresses them.
What to Avoid
Part of the reason to use a good dreadlock shampoo is that there are so many ingredients out there that you should avoid. These ingredients cause damage to your hair and should be avoided when choosing a good shampoo.
Products That Leave a Residue
One of the most important things you want to avoid when picking out shampoo for dreadlocks is anything that will leave a residue. Many shampoos have ingredients within them that cling to your hair. When you wash your hair with these shampoos, these ingredients stay in your hair as a residue and sometimes appear as dandruff.
This isn’t good in general. It can lead to a buildup of shampoo ingredients in your hair. These can damage your hair and even cause irritation.
Avoiding shampoos that leave a residue is even more critical for anyone with dreadlocks. This is because locs are particularly prone to absorbing and holding onto residues from hair care products. This means that leaving residue on any type of hair is bad, but even worse when it comes to locs.
Products that Actively Hurt Your Hair
Some product ingredients should be avoided because they will hurt your locs. This seems a bit contradictory, as there must be some reason these ingredients are included. Typically, this is because they provide some small benefit but do so at a cost.
For example, silicones are directly damaging to locs. They reduce the amount of friction between strands of hair and, in this way, help detangle it. However, this friction is necessary for keeping your locs together, so products with silicone will ruin your locs. Avoid silicone to keep your locs intact.
Sulfates are put in products to create more foam, which is why they are often found in toothpaste. However, sulfates also remove the good, natural oils from your hair and, in doing so, cause your hair to dry out.
On top of these, watch out for formaldehyde. This is a known cancer risk. However, you can still find it in many products on the shelves.
Having a hard time finding a shampoo without harsh chemicals that actually works on dreadlocks? Check out our 2 in 1 Co Wash made especially for dreadlocks with vegan and organic ingredients.
Products With Health Risks
Some products aren’t just bad for your hair; they risk your health as a whole. However, despite this, they are still often found in hair care products.
One of the key offenders are parabens. Parabens are put in hair care products to prevent bacteria from growing. However, they have the potential to create some extremely serious health problems. These range from impacting how your brain works to damage your immune system.
Meanwhile, phthalates are put in shampoo to allow the shampoo to spread throughout your hair. Unfortunately, they also have the potential to alter your hormones and damage your reproductive system.
What to Look For
When shopping around for dreadlock shampoos, you want something that will address common hair problems. After all, you want your shampoo to clean and protect your hair, so you should ensure it has ingredients to accomplish this purpose. Because of this, you should look for a few things specifically.
Related: Is Fragrance Bad For Hair? Yes, Here's Why
Natural and Organic Ingredients
You will typically hear the terms natural and organic applied to foods. However, they are just as important when it comes to your shampoo.
This is because shampoos that contain only natural and organic ingredients stand apart from their competitors. The majority of the problematic ingredients in shampoo are not natural or organic. So, sticking with natural and organic avoids these problems.
However, natural and organic labels do not necessarily guarantee that the shampoo you are dealing with is high quality. After all, there are plenty of good ingredients that aren’t natural, and there are plenty of bad ingredients that are natural. However, the vast majority of natural and organic ingredients are better for you than their harsh chemical counterparts. Because of this, simply sticking with these labels is a great way to approach products like this without other knowledge.
Clarifying Ingredients
As previously mentioned, one of the things you want to avoid the most when it comes to your shampoo is ingredients that leave a residue. Clarifying ingredients are essentially the opposite of this. They are ingredients put in shampoo to help your hair naturally expel residues.
This has obvious benefits. It keeps your locs clean and free from harmful residues.
Want to give your hair the moisture it needs on days you don’t wash? Take a look at our Advanced Rose Water Spray Treatment for a gentle addition to your care routine.
Moisturizing Power
Your locs need moisture to survive. Without moisture, they will dry out and start to break or take on other damage.
One great way to provide your locs with this moisture is to shampoo your locs regularly. Doing so helps eliminate some of the problematic substances that would rob your hair of this necessary moisture.
So, while you are shampooing anyway, why not provide more moisture on top of that? By using products that moisturize, you give your hair its best chance at success. Moisturized locs are happy locs and will lead you to have less stress with your hair.
Everything You Need to Know About Dreadlock Shampoo
You should use a dreadlock shampoo if you have dreadlocks. This will allow you to give your locs the treatment they need while avoiding things that will damage them. With the advice in this article, you can pick out the right shampoo.
Related: Should You Use Olive Oil On Your Dreadlocks? The Do's and Dont's